The Official U.S. Maple Syrup Almanac -- 2017 Alamanc_2017 | Page 49

three month’s worth of carryover from
the 2016 season, which was the biggest in
modern history. He said he expects next
season will also be a carryover, despite
brisk sales.
Not much different in the Midwest
where Anderson’s Maple, run by Steve
Anderson, has closed the door on new
syrup from new sugarmakers.
“Yes, still taking, but only from current
customers at this time,” Anderson said.
Anderson is becoming known as one of
the nation’s best marketers and his syrup
brand is showing up on store shelves from
coast to coast. He said once again syrup
sales are up this year, but he said it is too
early in the marketing season to tell just
how much.
David Marvin of Butternut Mountain
Farms in Morrisville, Vt. said the indus-
try is in a mixed bag situation.
Prices are down on the bulk side, but
sales on the retail side are very strong.
Consistently, retail has improved 10 per-
cent year after year and that trend con-
tinues.
“I’ve always been an optimist about the
maple business and I am still optimistic,”
he said.
“In the short term we have a challenge
in that there appears to be more syrup
available in the market then we are able
to sell,” he said.
Marvin said the retail side of the indus-
try will catch up to the expansion, but
it may take a couple of years to do it.
Maybe even just one year if there is a
short season.
Producers should expect bulk prices to
stay low for at least another season.
“I don’t think the prices improve until
the barrels clear,” Bascom said.
Meanwhile, more and more sugarmak-
ers are trying their hand at selling their
U.S. Maple Syrup Almanac
2017
DRUMS BEING DRAINED at Bascom Maple Farms in Alstead, N.H. on May 5.
own syrup, either right out of the sugar-
house, peddling it to local retail accounts
or selling online.
This spring there was an industry-wide
shortage of quart sized plastic contain-
ers—dealers were out of them pretty
much everywhere—indicating that sug-
armakers were packing more of their own
syrup.
Peter Haas, president of Hillside Plas-
tics, Inc., the makers of Sugarhill Con-
tainers, said his company has recently
completed a major expansion at their
plant in Turners Falls, Mass. just to keep
up with the higher demand for contain-
ers.
“We’re feeling pretty optimistic and
Mark Cipperly of Hoosick Falls, N.Y. brings
pretty good about the whole market-
some of his extra commercial grade to
Bascom Maple Farms open house on May place,” Haas said. “We have seen more
5. Bascom was paying $1.95 per pound
longer term producers as well as new ones
for the darkest table grades and $2.00 per doing private label product.”
pound for most everything else.
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